A Story on Mr. Sohrab Uddin

“I feel myself happy because I have been able to save my family from the darkness of live and miserable poverty. I am thankful to CRPAR Project”- says 47 years old Mr. Sohrab Uddin a beneficiary of CRPARP. He was born and brought up in the village named Aladigram. Aladigram is the most climate vulnerable area situated in Hatiya, Coastal Afforestation Division, Noakhali. In his family, he has a wife, three sons and two daughters. The elder daughter of Mr. Sohrab Uddin is already been married and while arranging the marriage, Sohrab Uddin had to take a large amount of loan from a village Mohajan as the dowry for his daughter. Before being associated with CRPARP, he had to sell his wife’s ornaments to pay the loan partially.

Due to excessive climate hazards in the coastal regions of Bangladesh, particularly in Hatiya, Noakhali, Sohrab Uddin faced the threat of his life and livelihoods earlier. The frequent natural disasters like coastal inundation, SIDR, AILA and so damaged his livelihood options as well as shelter. At present, he does not have any arable lands for growing any crop as his lands inundated into the river due to extreme paw/appendage of the climate change. As he lost everything for the natural disasters, he used to work on daily basis temporarily in the local areas. Sometimes, Sohrab would catch fishes from the river and would sell in the local market for his living. With that limited income, he was not capable of fulfilling the demand of his household. Sohrab and his family had to face tough times losing his lands and live hoods. The family had to starve for days.

During his hard time, nobody was beside him. Out of the blue, a hope of light was glittered inside Sohrab’s mind when he heard about CRPARP. Bangladesh Forest Department formulated and undertook Climate Resilient Participatory Afforestation and Reforestation Project (CRPARP) as a key contributor in meeting the challenge of climate change vulnerability and depleting forest resources in coastal and hilly areas. Since the project has a participatory approach, people of the local community would have credible and substantial benefits from of the project. Sohrab wanted to be a core beneficiary of the project. Following the pre- requisite conditions, criteria and eligibility to be a beneficiary of CRPARP, Sohrab was selected as a core beneficiary and got the work as a day labourer in the Mangrove nursery and plantation site.

He works under the project on a daily basis. He takes part in every task of the project such as land preparation for mangrove nursery site, raising mangrove nursery at Char Alim and mangrove plantation at Thengair Char. His
significant contribution in the plantation works of CRPARP is mention worthy. The field officials of the Saguria Range were pleased with Sohrab’s dedication towards his works during the whole process of the plantation.
From 2013 to December 2014, he worked for 378 days with 300 tk wages per day in the field of Mangrove nursery and plantation sites.

Mr. Sohrab now can provide three times meal a day and a shelter for living to his family. Besides, one daughter and son of Sohrab Uddin go to school now. He also pays the loan in instalment which he had to take for the purpose of his daughter’s marriage and dowry.

Being a core beneficiary and a regular labor of the CRPAR Project, Mr. Sohrab Uddin has gradually become self-reliant and made an individual identity in his local community. By dint and eloquent manner and efficiency, he has become an idol and the chairman of a folk of labours. He is aware to the impact of climate change and its consequences. He always takes part in all Community Consultation Meetings with other community people arranged by the Forest Department Officials and the Community Mobilization Officer in mobilizing the local community regarding awareness building towards climate change and other project’s agenda items. He is the name of inspiration in his local community.

In this way, CRPARP is creating employment opportunity to Mr. Sohrab and the other beneficiaries to alleviate poverty. Like Sohrab, in 2013-14, during the nursery raising and plantation, a total number of 11,302 male labors and 2,665 female labors were employed for 7,65,513 work days. The civil works will generate around 0.38 million work days during the project period.

Thanks and acknowledgement to CRPAR Project of Bangladesh Forest Department and the implementation staff of the Coastal Forest Division, Noakhali. Hence, CRPARP is helping in leading contented lives to all labors of CRPARP.